True Emotions
by MibuWolf
Summary: In a bid to get Kenshin to understand what she's been going through because of him, Kaoru runs away from the Dojo, but her ploy brings about unexpected disastrous results.


Disclaimer: For Christ's sake, I didn't steal RK from Watsuki-sensei. Now kindly get your handcuffs off me.

Author's Note: Yet another KenshinXKaoru fic. I'm torturing myself with having to think up new storylines all the time. A few reviews should help me though… -hinthint-

True Emotions

Chapter One: Unrequited

Unrequited. Feelings that were not returned. Simply throw to the wind, like the petals of a sakura flower.

Kaoru stared at the man of her affections, her sapphire eyes widened in shock, not believing what he'd just told her…

…Or maybe she didn't want to. Who would?

"No?" she finally asked, unable to accept that she'd just been rejected. That hollow, empty feeling settling in her guts.

Himura Kenshin, the rurouni with whom she'd first shared her home and eventually her heart, shook his head, his bright amethyst eyes apologetic. "Gomen nasai, Kaoru-dono, but this one cannot return the feelings you so openly declared for me."

The Dojo master heard him pronounce every syllable, her eyes saw his lips move, but her mind, numbed by what had taken place, refused to comprehend whatever those words meant.

"So it's all just… a lie?" she half-whispered, rhetorical question almost unheard. How foolish she was! Kaoru thought that Kenshin came to rescue her from Enishi's grasp because he was truly in love with her and wanted to protect her the way he wanted to protect and love Tomoe ten years ago…

In the end, it turned out that her childish fantasies weren't shared by Kenshin. All her feelings for him were ignored, just as he refused her wish to remain behind instead of going off to Kyoto to battle against Shishi-o.

Maybe Megumi was right all along, that a sweaty tomboy could never win the heart of a skilled swordsman like Kenshin.

"Kaoru-dono…" Kenshin started, but Kaoru cut him off before he could explain any further.

Because it hurt her so much to hear him speak her name.

"Maybe it's me" she said, looking away from him and avoiding his gaze. "Maybe I'll never be able to fill up that empty space in your heart the way Tomoe did. Or maybe I'll never leave my mark on you the way Tomoe did."

Casting an angry glare on the cross-scar etched onto his face, Kaoru ran out of them room and into the cold night under the motionless stars, pearly tears forming a et river that flowed down her cheeks.

…

Kenshin was lying when he turned down her "offer" of love.

He so badly wanted her, even needed her. Ever since he learnt to share his past and his pain with her. Ever since the day he stopped wandering and the night he battled Udo Jin-eh to protect the one he loved.

It hurt him so badly to have to force himself to leave Kaoru behind, and it took all effort to ignore her cries as he disappeared into the night.

Most times, all it took was one look and he nearly blurted out his feelings for her.

Since Tomoe's death, he could never find anyone to love, to protect. Tomoe was quiet, decent and beautiful in her silent ways. But Kaoru was… different. She learnt to be independent since her parents' deaths, and managed to keep them alive by giving lessons whenever she had the chance.

He so badly wanted her from himself, it was getting harder and harder to mask his true emotions from her.

That night, her sapphire orbs looked so much brighter than usual. Her facial featured reflecting more and more of her innocence and purity..

Kaoru deserved far better than a rurouni like him. It would be selfish of him to stain her with his past crimes.

But she had made it very clear that she didn't care about his pat hadn't she?

So he decided to lie to her, to say that he rejected her, so that that would drive her off. So that she would look for someone different, someone better.

But inside he so badly wanted to return her feelings…

……………………………………………………………………………………………

Author's Notes: And it is done… hoho. Did this in about fourty minutes. Go me! mC


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